PeteJoe Urban of Creepoid and Key editor John Vettese in the WXPN studio with vinyl selections | Photo by Pat Troxell

Philly dark psychedelic four-piece Creepoid are having a pretty sweet spring. After releasing their new self-titled LP on No Idea Records on March 4th, the band toured to SXSW and back – evidently impressing Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! somewhere along the way – and are gearing up for their latest record, a Record Store Day 10″ via Graveface Records.

Before all this got underway, I had the Creepoid crew on the air on WXPN for a special all-vinyl, mostly-local guest DJ set featuring the likes of Puerto Rico Flowers, Bardo Pond, Asteroid No. 4, Jack Rose and more. Listen to their DJ set below.

The band also played a sold-out, starkly-lit, drumkit-toppling album-release party with Far-Out Fangtooth at Johnny Brenda’s on the 27th of February; check out a gallery of photos from the performance below.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28
When Modest Mouse released its sophomore LP, The Lonesome Crowded West, back in 1997, it seemed like exactly the kind of breakthrough album that could propel the band into indie-rock stardom. (Which it did.) Since then, the band has influenced countless newer acts in a variety of ways—the most distinctive and obvious of which is singer Isaac Brock’s voice. Truth be told, it is near impossible to listen to a track such as Bear Hands‘ “What A Drag” (off last year’s Burning Bush Supper Club) and not hear Brock’s voice when the singer yelps, “You’ve got them long nails / I’m dreaming of your god damn long nails” in a pinched, nasal tone. The band has probably come to terms with hearing that by now; after all, you can’t really spout out vocals like that and not expect such a comparison. Thankfully, the band has a few other vocal tricks up its sleeve, including the distorted falsetto on Supper Club‘s equally excellent opener, “Crime Pays.” Bear Hands performs with The Asteroid #4 and Snakes Say Hisss at 9 p.m. at Johnny Brenda’s; tickets to the 21+ are $10.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 29
Do you love the early-’80s, Philly-based no wave band The Stick Men, but often wish they were a little less conventional in terms of songwriting? If so, we should probably discuss your idea of “conventional songwriting.” But, in the meantime, you’re going to love Normal Love. Normal Love performs with White Suns, Mincemeat Or Tenspeed, and Bad News Bats at Danger Danger Gallery; tickets to the all-ages show are $5-$10.

Silly name or not, the mid-’90s “Psychedelphia” scene produced a solid body of heady pop music—The Azusa Plane, Photon Band, Lenola—that gave the city’s anglophiles (and readers of Magnet Magazine) a reason to believe. As time passes, the era drifts further into obscurity—so much so that the regrettable handle has more recently been co-opted by a “progressive jam-rock-fusion band” (and I’m guessing it’s not because they’re fans of Lilys). But scene leaders The Asteroid No. 4 have kept the faith alive, remaining productive throughout the ’00s. Their secret is a broad palette – alongside jangly lilac-petal melodies and a Spaceman 3 fixation, Asteroid mixes in rustic Americana textures and ambitious, Last Waltz-y arrangements. Next month, the band’s sixth album, Hail To The Clear Figurines, is out on The Committee To Keep Music Evil (the label run by Brian Jonestown Massacre leader Anton Newcombe). Chock full of tasty harmonies, rich guitar tones, and big, bold hooks, it’s the best thing the band has done in a decade. Dig into early standout “Wild Opal Eyes” below, and catch the band tomorrow night when it plays Johnny Brenda’s with Bear Hands.

Back in October, we posted The Asteroid No. 4‘s “Ignition Slated For Eight”—the closing track from the spacey psych-rock band’s upcoming album, Hail To The Clear Figurines (due February 8 via The Committee to Keep Music Evil Records). The band was kind enough to send us another song off the full-length (which will be the its sixth), “Wild Opal Eyes.” Compared to “Ignition,” this track seems to deliver on the band’s promise that Figurines will have “a touch of melancholy, a wistfulness borne of the blown snow and bare trees enveloping their surroundings.” (Whatever that promo-speak means.)

Philly’s The Asteroid No. 4 have a new album called Hail To The Clear Figurines coming out on February 8. It’s the band’s sixth album and is being released on The Committee to Keep Music Evil Records. Great name for a record label, eh? We think so. This new song from it – “Ignition Slated For Eight” – sets the controls for the heart of the sun. Prepare for lift off.

About The Key

Philadelphia: Home to a rich musical history, a unique musical identity, and one of the nation's most thriving musical communities. In a scene filled with so many local bands worth listening to, there will always be new music to discover—and The Key is your source for finding it. Brought to you by WXPN—the non-commercial public radio station that World Cafe, XPN2, and XPoNential Music Festival call home—The Key covers all local music in Greater Philly and beyond.GET IN TOUCH

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About The Key

Philadelphia: Home to a rich musical history, a unique musical identity, and one of the nation's most thriving musical communities. In a scene filled with so many local bands worth listening to, there will always be new music to discover—and The Key is your source for finding it. Brought to you by WXPN—the non-commercial public radio station that World Cafe, XPN2, and XPoNential Music Festival call home—The Key covers all local music in Greater Philly and beyond.GET IN TOUCH